Hello bloggers i am very sorry at the lack of blogging but been very busy off late and i forgot the rest of the time!!

Firstly I would like to start by offering a 3 course dinner inc Canapes from now till end of December exc Xmas Day and New Years Eve and the stipulation is it will be the menu shown only!! And the menu is...... Cured Salmon and Mackeral with apple remoulade, beetroot crisps.baby leek salad and Wasabi Dressing

then for Main course a plate of Pork (Puddledub) to include the loin , confit of belly, cannelloni of cheek and pigs ear scratchings with cider braised fondant potato, braised root vegetables finished with honey and sage jus then for dessert..................Banana and caramel parfait with pecan tuile and star anise poached pear........all this cooked in your home with waitress service and kitchen left clean for £25 per head yes only£25!!! MINIMUM DINERS 6 persons. So phone Raymond on 07743 937178 and ask for details.

Well its winter time now so cooking makes for nice hearty stews and casseroles which can all be thrown in a pot or slow cooker and left to braise with lots of root veg and mash!!

Have you not tried tastier and cheaper cuts of meat bonless chicken thighs,ox cheek,pigs cheek,shin of beef etc! if you have trouble locating these cuts send me an e.mail and i will tell you where you can get them.

Well i went on a wild mushroom foray in October around Dunnikier Park and we found an interesting selection of funghi though not many were edible some could even kill!! But thankfully we went on an organised trip with a knowledgeable guide. Next trip is around Spring and it will include flowers, berries and other edible plants check the greener Kirkcaldy website and find out more.

Before i give you a recipe to try i would like to mention my wife and i went to Ondine restaurant in Edinburgh in September which is a fish restaurant situated of the Royal Mile opposite Deacon Brodies...the pub that i'm sure most people visiting Edinburgh have been to and to let you know it was fantastic!! quality fresh and sustainable fish cooked to perfection don't worry there is a meat dish starter and main for those who have yet to get round to trying fish by the way its the best duck liver parfait i have eaten and i've had a few...try it you won't be dissapointed!! Oh and belated congratulations to my friend and colleague Joe Queen who in July took over as Excecutive Chef of the Hilton Hotel Glasgow...nice we plug there chef!!!

Here we go then with Baked coconut cream,caramelised fruits and vanilla ice cream

6oz of caster sugar
2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
18floz coconut milk and vanilla to taste

Method:

Make a custard by boiling coconut milk whisking eggs egg yolks and sugar.
Add milk onto eggs mix well strain then pour mixture into moulds of your choice i.e ramekins etc. then place in a tray half filled with water and bake at 130c or gas 1 for half and hour or till slightly wobbly...cool down. Then slice some apple pear and banana dust heavily with icing sugar and blast under a hot grill or alternatively throw..gently in a pan of carmelised sugar to accompany with your set and cooled coconut cream and serve with a good quality vanilla ice cream....mmmmm delicious!

Happy cooking and i will try and blog soon.

Hi everybody, well here we are late again! Can't seem to get into a pattern with these blogs at all.
Did a big BBQ up in St.Andrews Sunday at the Botanic Gardens which went very well. Tasty burgers and pork sausages from Hendersons the butcher so if you want to rely on a bit of quality...try them!!
Through a friend of mine in the industry went to a dinner at end of May for the Grampian Chef of the year dinner which was fantastic! Started with a trio of Mackeral and Crab beautifully presented then a quartet of different lamb cuts and then a spanking sweet which just said Millionaires Shortbread but came out nothing like it! It certainly had all the character of the name but presented in the 21st century. Done a week at Rufflets hotel outside St.Andrews during the week of the Open which as expected was busy while i was up there i went to the St.Andrews cheese company to see the very tasty cheese they make..Anster being made.You don't have to buy all that french and italian cheese when we have quality round about us its a cheddar with a lovely tangy bite to it. Give them a phone and you can go and see it getting made...and of course buy some.
Don't forget now if you need a buffet or dinner party for any occassion we here at Emerald Catering are here to do just that!

Lets give you a lovely summer time dessert to enjoy while all the berries are still in season.

Brandy Snap biscuit with summer berry Eton Mess and crushed hazelnut

You can buy or make brandy snap if you wish. To make... you need 8oz each of the following..butter,glucose,plain flour and sugar then tspn of ground ginger,juice of half a lemon and a dash of brandy. Mix everthing together in a liquidizer or buy hand with a whisk till it comes to a paste then leave to chill.

They are easier bought along with some meringue and a half pint of lightly whipped double cream. Simply add some strawberries and raspberries into broken meringue the whipped cream sugar of needed and place into a brandy snap basket with a mint leaf and a dusting of icing sugar and if you wish sprinkle the crushed toasted hazelnuts.

Thanks for reading,

Raymond at Emerald Catering

My god its getting longer and longer the gaps between the blogs..terribly sorry but its the restaurant honest!! Just in case you forgot where we are its The Auld Hoose in Windygates doing nice freshly prepared food at reasonable prices in an informal setting and theres entertainment in the pub at weekends! We (my wife Ann)and i are having an open evening next Thurday 1st April and are going to be doing canapes and a glass of prosecco from 6.30 till 8.30 hopefully introducing new clientele to use the restaurant for business or pleasure and you can take away some menus which will give you an idea of what we have on offer. For any companies that don't get out for lunch nowadays remember we offer an imaginative and quality driven buffet service which can vary from simple sandwiches to plated lunches in the office or home even for the cost conscious.
Well April is around the corner so produce will get more varied around this time. We know we can get anything and everything anytime nowadays but its still better to buy local produce when in season to taste it at its best! Try asking your local fish shop(now theres a laugh if you live in Kirkcaldy) if they can get some witch...no not the ones your thinking of...witch sole preferably fillets to stop the fiddling around then get a reasonably hot pan touch of oil then touch of butter pass fillets through some seasoned flour shake of excess and pan fry for a couple of minutes on each side serve with some nice green veg and new boiled potatoes cheap and tasty!

For a nice and simple dessert a favourite amongst everyone or nearly ...Rhubarb.
Stew some rhubarb with touch of water and some sugar not to long so that it resembles the tinned variety. Leave to cool and place in the bottom of a glass then whip some mascarpone and some lightly whipped double cream together flavoured with grated orange zest and icing sugar and place on top and serve with a nice biscuit of your choice.
Well thats it for the moment back to getting some prep done for the restaurant. I hope it won't be too long before i blog again.

Happy cooking.

Hello and sorry for such a gap between blogs but my wife and i took leave of our senses and have taken a lease on a restaurant within a pub! Seriously though its now starting to get enjoyable as we are settling down a bit as it was first taken on in November then Xmas was upon us which just whissed by..though busy and stressful.
Anyway for any of you that like dining out to eat fresh tasty and reasonably priced food why not come along and try us. We are open Tue-Sun for lunch 12-4 and all day on Friday and Saturday. Its the Auld Hooose in Windygates so we look forward to seeing you.
Other than the restaurant it has not been busy for the outside catering and havn't had the time to drum up business with the restaurant taking up all our time. But we are still doing catering especially private dinner parties and weddings.
Well its winter time and its cold so what better way to warm yourself up than sit down to a tasty(very),cheap,hearty filling dish of Braised ox cheek,roast root vegetables and creamy mash....mmmmm i hear you say or maybe yuch don't fancy that.
Well that is on our special for today so if you don't want to tackle the forthcoming recipe come along to the Auld Hoose and try it!

For the adventurous cook:
From a quality reliable butcher i use Hendersons 01592 770555
4ox cheek an onion peeled and chopped couple of carrots peeled and chopped stick of celery sprig of thyme bulb of garlic crushed with back of knife glass of red wine and glass of port and the essential salt and pepper

Ask the butcher to trim of any sinewy and fatty bits then pass through flour while your doing that have a pan on and an ovenproof casserole dish ready to stick in oven. touch of oil into the hot pan then lay gently in the pan your ox cheek nicely brown then turn over and do same on other side. Take out pan and place in casserole dish then empty dirty oil out pan wipe dry with cloth place back on heat put in some fresh oil and quickly saute all your prepared vegetables and herbs pour this over your ox cheek cover with some stock and red wine and port. Cover with foil and slowly braise for three hours or so until tender.
While thats in the oven out the road make your mash then peel another couple of carrots and parsnip then cut lengthways through them in oven with touch of butter and honey sprig of rosemary and roast for ten mins or so.(on a tray of course)

When ox cheek is ready serve up with your mash and roast veg smother with the cooking liquor and thorougly enjoy the fruits of your efforts of which you will not be dissapointed!

And by the way Happy New Year....you know what they say better late than never!!!

Happy cooking.

Hello and sorry I'm late with this months blog but we (my wife and I) have been busy organising a lease for a restaurant within a pub. It's been a long time coming so we hope that you the viewer to our blog and keen foodies will come along and see what delightful,fresh tasty food we have on offer! We will also be taking Xmas bookings throughout the month of December for lunch and dinners at the weekend. The restaurant we have acquired is in Windygates at the Auld Hoose and we are looking forward to seeing you there....more details and menu samples will be available shortly.

As we are very busy at this time I will give you this quick and simple idea for a lovely tasty dish which will suit a lunch or supper snack.

It is Salt and Pepper Prawns...delicious!

You will need a small domestic fryer which you can now get at Currys,Argos etc. If not then half fill a pan with oil which can be daunting....heat it on a medium heat,make sure it is NOT boiling. The temp should be no hotter than 170/180c test it by dropping a piece of bread in first.

Buy some nice prawns preferably king prawns(shell of) 1lb or more depending on budget!
Make a nice light batter i.e 8oz self raising flour,1/2 pint of lager(you'll just have to drink the rest) a teaspoon of baking powder touch of salt. Keep batter thin.
Dip prawns through some flour shake of excess place in batter again shake of excess and dip in fryer...carefully! cook for 2-3 mins lift out,drain,place on plate shred some spring onion and fresh chilli with szechuan pepper which you can get at a chinese cash and carry....yes there is one here in Kirkcaldy and some sea salt crystals make a dipping sauce or buy one at the aforementioned cash and carry. It could be a plum sauce, soy sauce, chilli sauce..whatever takes your fancy.. and enjoy! Well as i mentioned this blog is short but i will give more info in the next one about the restaurant which we are desperate to get up and running.
Thanks for looking in,see you next month.

September is here and it's a great month for food... especially fruit! Apples,blackberries,damsons and the last of the strawberries and rasps. The game season is around the corner which means we can eat food that is unadulterated,healthy,tasty but unfortunately in most cases expensive. Most of you guys out there now will be starting to think of....XMAS oh how i hate that time of year. It must be the chef inside me that dreads it because it's was always busy and never much time of to see the family as well as missing xmas day with the kids, getting back late when the party was over. But now i can enjoy it being out on my own(business wise,not the family leaving) as i can take the day of and worry about the turkey for half a dozen or so and not hundreds! Anyway i'm sure planning for that time is of the essence so if your staying at home on the day and looking for new ideas or catering tips remember to e.mail me at rjmillar1@blueyonder.co.uk and i will gladly pass on the necessary info. Have to tell you about dinner we made at home last night,got 3 lobsters from a friend on Tuesday so put them to good use. Not the same old thermidor job (which is nice) but a few different methods as we are quiet just now which gives me time to experiment.
Just give me the ideas i here you say! Well here they are.....first i did a lovely pasta dish with one of them, cooked tagliatelle then sweated of some onion,garlic and cherry tomato,through in pancetta and mascarpone bit of basil and then the cooked tag then put into a bowl and smothered with parmesan...delicious! Secondly i threw the lobster in the oven halved...cooked it for ten mins and drenched it with smoked garlic,chilli,coriander,lime and a dollop of butter then served it with a nice thai salad. But the tastiest and most rewarding of all was taking it out the shell using a tempura batter deep frying it for 2 mins then serving it with a couple of dipping sauces....nirvana!
I am at present when quiet helping out at a local hotel but would love to get a lease on a kitchen within a pub( or a restaurant that's lost its way) here in Kirkcaldy or the surrounding area to serve what i believe is not available to the discerning diner..(good fresh food cooked with imagination and flair with reasonable prices!) Should anybody out there looking for the same as me give me a call on 07743 937178.
To finish this months blog i am going to take you back in time with a very simple dessert...from your school days but not as bad...well hopefully! That recipe is.......Semolina with toasted flaked almonds and star anise poached pear.

Recipe
5Og Semolina
800g Full fat milk
3tbsp Condensed milk
Vanilla essence or pod for xtra flavour

For poaching pear
100g caster sugar
Juice of half a lemon
2 star anise

Flaked almonds or hazelnuts(toasted)

Poach pear in sugar,1 pint of water,lemon and star anise for approx. half an hour.
Toast semolina in frying pan until golden.....add full fat milk,vanilla and stir frequently for 10 mins till thick then add condensed milk and top with your poached pear, if you wish i put on a scoop of ice cream...any flavour. Mmmmm..quite nice and simple!

Thanks for veiwing my blog see you soon.
Good luck with the recipes.

Hi viewers sorry there was no blog last month bit busy!! This month is a bit quieter than usual must be all feeling the pinch or spending money keeping the kids happy during school holidays but don't despair next week its back to normal!!! OOOH we can't wait!
August is a good month for mackeral which is a very underated fish..cheap,healthy,tasty and very versatile standing up to lots of flavours. A nice way of preparing a quick simple dish for lunch,dinner or supper is with sweet potato and chive mash, buttered baby leeks and a sweet chilli glaze. Start by brushing your mackeral fillets with a touch of oil and placing on a tray ready to go under the grill(only takes a few minutes to cook). Next peel your sweet potato and cut up into large dice ready to boil as you would normal potatoes as they are cooking blanch in boiling water for 30/40seconds your baby leeks if you can't get hold of them use spring onions much cheaper as well! then when they are blanched drain and turn into a frying pan of melted butter and roll them in it for a few seconds. While this is going on place your mackeral under the grill and crisp up the skin..delicious! cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain the cooked sweet potato and mash with butter and some chopped fresh chives. Now all you do is bring the dish together..Sweet potato mash on the centre of plate cooked mackeral fillet or fillets on top baby leeks around the outside and brush the mackeral or drizzle round the dish with the sweet chilli sauce( available anywhere nowadays). If you are adventurous and wish to make your own sweet chilli sauce here is a recipe to quickly assemble in a oner...1 tspoon dried chilli flakes,2tbspoons light brown sugar,2 tspoons light soy sauce,4 tspoons lemon juice and a small pinch of ground allspice...put all the ingredients together in a pan and bring to boil for a minute or so...READY to use. Hope you enjoy it. Remember if you need advice on any cooking tips please get in touch at rjmillar1@blueyonder.co.uk.
Also as in previous blogs we do gift vouchers for a different present. That time of the year is getting nearer yes i'm talking about the dreaded xmas. Well thats it short and sweet for now.
Happy cooking!